All hail Mardoc the Lawbringer, and his long and glorious reign!
He became President of Greece in the election of 660, and proceded to recieve State of the Empire reports from the senators in each city. Some judicious shifting of labor to take advantage of improved areas led to increased production at no cost. In his grand tour, however, Mardoc noticed that corruption, graft, and waste were consuming an incredible amount of Greece's production; corruption alone siphoned half of the incoming taxes while waste must have rivaled this amount. He resolved to bring justice and equity to all in the empire, especially to the far-flung provinces. He concluded that both Courthouses and Law Libraries were needed.
In his first turn in office, Mardoc supervised the founding of the new colony, to be called Miletos. He continued to supervise the movement of workers, as they scurried hither and thither to make Greece suitable for habitation. He placed especial emphasis on allowing all Greek cities to partake in trade, by building roads throughout the empire. He felt that allowing isolated Greeks to contact the full majesty of empire would lead to greater happiness than all of the temples combined.
In the year 680, the English barbarians announced plans to build a great statue of bronze, to be called the "colossus." Mardoc dismissed this boast, believing that bronze was not sturdy enough, and that the statue would collapse under its own weight. He heard nothing more from the boastful English, leading him to assume it had indeed collapsed, and they were ashamed to admit this humble fact.
In 690, the Germans declared that they would build the Hanging Gardens so quickly that they would beat the citizens of Athens to acquire this honor. This, too, was dismissed as bragging. More importantly, the city of Artemisium was founded on a hill by the ocean so that its residents could have a wonderful view of the sunrise.
By the turn of the century, other empires professed interest in the glorious Greek empire; we sold them our territorial map for a grand total of 27 gold and the maps of the Zulu and Aztec domains. Mardoc instucted his scribes to record for posterity his insight gleaned from watching other rulers that if one is to sell knowledge of any sort, one should sell it to all civilizations at once, as we gain the benefits rather than allowing them to trade it among themselves. This was a wonderful year, and the citizens of Athens announced the completion of the wondrous Hanging Gardens. The citizens were instructed to begin studying the Art of War (Sun Tzu's), as barbarians and other groups were threatening. The constuction of the gardens allowed a decrease in the amount of taxes spent on entertainment, with a corresponding increase in the funds devoted to research. Finally, Sparta, having finished a Cathedral, was instructed to begin Mardoc's grand experiment of a uniform code of laws throughout the Empire (Courthouse).
In following years, several other cities opted to join this experiment; in 710 Pharsalos finished their marketplace and began construction of a Courthouse; Eretria and Troy, having finished local defense forces, began the construction of libraries. Mardoc observed that Libraries are cheaper than temples yet provide a greater amount of culture, and that the luxuries provided by the roads allowed postponment of temple construction.
In the next decades, Corinth was to join the noble experiment after constructing armor for a group of knights. The expansionist English founded a city called Norwich in the northwest section of Greece; Artemisian citizens were paid to rush a library and begin construction of a temple. The English citizens on Greek territory were to be offered the benefits of our civilization without compulsion of any kind. Our clergy discovered the secrets of Theology, and began to research ways of mass producing books. One immigrant from Berlin, Gutenberg, seemed especially interested in this concept.
By 750, Malinalco finished equipping their self-defense Hoplites, and began to collect volumes for a library of their own.
In the next decade, Sparta was to finish building a courthouse and begin to equip more knights, while Argos finished equipping a division of knights and began work on their courthouse. Mardoc's system of laws had begun to spread, and Sparta was more orderly than ever before.
In 770 Anno Domini, Mycenae finished the construction of a grand aqueduct, and decided that they, too, needed to keep up on the laws; they began a library of their own. The people, excited about the prospects for the Law, volunteered to plant a lawn in front of the Presidents' Residence.
10 years later, Mardoc, disgusted with the graft going on in the construction of a courthouse in Knossos, dipped into the treasury to hire workers from all over the empire to finish the courthouse quickly. A group of Greek knights dispersed the Etruscan barbarians' settlement.
By 790, the courthouse in Knossos was finished, yielding an immediate boost in productivity. The citizens, interested in studying law so as to understand the procedings at the courthouse, began to build a library. Marathon, too, decided to construct an edicace to order. Brianopolis also started a library after finishing the construction of their temple. As it was on the Aztec border, Mardoc thought that this would be a great place in which to build "culture" to attract the people in the region from the inferior Aztec nation to our glorious, law-abiding civilization.
As another century turned, Pharsalos finished their Courthouse. These citizens also had trouble understanding the law, so opted to build a library. The Germans begin to construct the Sistene Chapel, so the Spartans are instructed to cease making equipment for Knights and instead focus on being first to construct this wondrous building. A settlement of Phrygians was dispersed by Greek Knights.
In 810, Thermopylae followed the now familiar pattern and began a Library to follow their Courthouse.
In 820, Gutenberg announced success with his new "printing press", and scientists were instructed to study engineering, as this could allow greater deeds by the workers of the nation.
In 830, Mardoc dipped into the treasury yet again to fund a Courthouse; this one was constructed in Pergamon, which would switch to a library as the court was complete. Mardoc pointed out that cities which are not near the capital construct so slowly without a Courthouse that they might as well never grow; increasing population leads to increasing craftiness and the citizens become more talented at diverting vital materials from communal projects to themselves.
In 840, Halicarnassus completed their Hoplites and began a library. Greece will soon be the most cultured and hence respected civilization in all the world. Pergamon finishes their Courthouse and begins a library, too.
In 850, Pharsalos completes their library and begins to construct an Aqueduct so that the city can grow. Thermopylae finishes a library and begins a great marketplace so that citizens can find books for libraries of their own.
Mardoc's term was scheduled to expire at this point, but he gave the orders to all the units in the Empire before anyone noticed; he apologizes profusely and promises that his decendants will not violate the law in such an embarrassing manner. He stepped down immediately thereafter.
I simply built this turn; I tried to increase borders and decrease corruption. More cities probably won't be valuable until we build the Forbidden Palace somewhere; preferably northeast of Athens. They simply would have corruption eat up all production past the initial settler. Norwich should succumb to Greek culture at some point, and it seems to be in a good location; we got started on culture earlier and more strongly. I'm not sure how to take a picture/screenshot, but I will next time if someone tells me how. I probably neglected military more than I should have, but the world is at peace and the barbarians are almost ended.
